Heterocyclic analogues of L-citrulline as inhibitors of the isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and identification of N(delta)-(4,5-dihydrothiazol-2-yl)ornithine as a potent inhibitor.

L-Thiocitrulline is a known potent inhibitor of several isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). To explore the structure-activity relationships (SARs) for this molecule in more depth than has previously been reported, three analogues substituted at the sulphur of the isothioureas have been synthesised. In two of these, the S-substituent was 'tied back' sterically by cyclisation to the nitrogen remote from the amino-acid unit. N(delta)-(4,5-Dihydrothiazol-2-yl)ornithine was identified as an inhibitor of rat inducible and constitutive isoforms of NOS and of a constitutive NOS derived from a human tumour xenograft. Analogous N(delta)-(thiazol-2-yl)ornithines were less active, whereas the corresponding N(delta)-(oxazol-2-yl)ornithine and N(delta)-(pyrimidin-2-yl)ornithine failed completely to inhibit NOS. A new efficient preparation of the critical synthetic intermediate, N(alpha)-Boc-thiocitrulline t-butyl ester, has been developed. Further exploration of the SAR with 2-amino-5-(heterocyclylthio)pentanoic acids (synthesised from 2-(Boc-amino)-5-bromopentanoic acid t-butyl ester), with N-(4-aminobutyl)thiourea and with 2-(4-aminobutylamino)-4,5-dihydrothiazole enabled refinement of our previous model for binding of the substrate, L-arginine, and the inhibitors to NOS.

Structure-based drug design: combinatorial chemistry and molecular modeling.

Drug discovery efforts are shifting to include the rapid synthetic procedures of combinatorial chemistry and the elegance of rational library design. The wealth of computational methods which explore both the receptor structure and the ultimate pharmacophore complementarity, provide novel avenues for chemists to discover new lead compounds or design virtual libraries for screening prior to the synthetic stage. This mini-review provides an overview of a few current methodologies of library generation, highlighting docking procedures which have utility in both the discovery and optimization stages of drug development. Three specific examples of different approaches to the use of docking are provided. These describe the development of inhibitors to the human A3 adenosine receptor and HIV-1 protease, and the evaluation of the activity of novel inhibitors of the redox regulator protein, human thioredoxin.

Prodrugs for targeting hypoxic tissues: regiospecific elimination of aspirin from reduced indolequinones.

A series of regioisomeric derivatives of a 1-methylindole-4,7-dione were synthesised, substituted with a 2-acetoxybenzoate leaving group linked through the (indol-2-yl)methyl or (indol-3-yl)methyl (or propenyl) positions. Reductive elimination of the leaving group occurred from the (indol-3-yl)methyl derivatives but not the 2-substituted regioisomers, indicating that only the C-3 position may be utilised in bioreductively-activated drug delivery, which was demonstrated with an aspirin prodrug.

Parallel syntheses of disulfide inhibitors of the thioredoxin redox system as potential antitumor agents.

We have reported previously that unsymmetrical disulfide inhibitors of the human thioredoxin/thioredoxin reductase redox system (hTrx/TR) possess antitumor activity. We have broadened the search for more potent inhibitors and evaluated a large range of mono- and bis-disulfide compounds, prepared using parallel syntheses. Reaction of isothioisourea-HCI salts (R') or bis-salts (R) with aromatic or aryl thiols (R") in wells of 96-well plates produced >450 derivatives with the structures R"SSR' and R"SSRSSR". The excellent yield and purity of the disulfides provided sufficient material for evaluations of enzyme inhibition and cytotoxicity. Selection criteria based on the IC50 values for hTrx/TR inhibition and for cytotoxicities of the disulfides identified agents for subsequent scale-up syntheses and in vivo evaluations of antitumor activity. These scale-up studies confirmed the original activities of agents synthesized in the plates and validated the parallel synthetic approach. Structure-activity information derived from the hTrx/TR IC50 data allow for a number of generalizations. The most potent inhibitors of the Trx system contained two heteroatoms ortho to the disulfide moiety in an aromatic functionality. The thioalkylating moieties had greatest activity with one branch point alpha to the disulfide. In the absence of branching, more potent inhibition was observed with the electron withdrawing functionalities. Bis-disulfides showed patterns of activity which depended on chain length, with optimum activity observed when the disulfide units were separated by 3.9 A, a similar distance to that separating the thioredoxin active site cysteine residues. From the agents selected for scale-up syntheses, three disulfide compounds were studied for their antitumor activity in vivo against human tumor xenografts in scid mice. One of the analogues discovered through the combinatorial syntheses/screening for Trx inhibition, 1-phenylethyl 2-imidazolyl disulfide, N1 (ProlX agent PX-C5), has demonstrated excellent in vivo activity against the MCF-7 human breast cancer and the HL-60 human leukemia, thus validating this approach for novel drug discovery.

S-2-amino-5-azolylpentanoic acids related to L-ornithine as inhibitors of the isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS).

S-2-Amino-5-(2-aminoimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid and S-2-amino-5-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid have been used as weakly inhibitory lead compounds in the design of 2-amino-5-azolylpentanoic acids which are more potent in their inhibition of nitric oxide synthases. Treatment of 2-(Boc-amino)-5-bromopentanoic acid t-butyl ester with appropriate imidazoles and 1,2,4-triazoles and with tetrazole under basic conditions, followed by acidolytic deprotection, gave many of the required 2-amino-5-azolylpentanoic acids. Tetrazole was alkylated at 1-N and at 2-N in approximately equal amounts whereas the 1,2,4-triazoles reacted principally at 1-N. A nitrile was introduced at the 2-position of the imidazole by reaction of the 2-unsubstituted precursor with 1-cyano-4-dimethylaminopyridine. Of this series of compounds, 2-amino-5-(imidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid was identified as the most potent member against rat iNOS, rat nNOS and a human-derived cNOS. Examination of the structure-activity relationships for the identity and substitution of the azoles has led to the proposal of a model for the binding of the inhibitors to the binding site for the natural substrate.

S-2-amino-5-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid: a model for potential bioreductively activated prodrugs for inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity.

Treatment of 1,1-dimethylethyl S-(2-1,1-dimethylethoxycarbonylamino)-5-bromopentanoate with 1-potassio-2-nitroimidazole, followed by deprotection, afforded S-2-amino-5-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid, which was reduced to S-2-amino-5-(2-aminoimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid. This aminoimadazole inhibited rat brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity 3.2 times more potently than did the nitro analogue. Thus S-2-amino-5-(2-nitroimidazol-1-yl)pentanoic acid is a potent prodrug which may be bioreductively activated to a NOS inhibitor in hypoxic solid tumours.